Germany’s environment ministry revealed on Wednesday (26 September) that the Bundesrepublik will back an EU-wide 30% CO2 cut for cars and vans – lower than expected by green NGOs – ahead of an important vote in the European Parliament next week.

The belated decision from the Germans means that talks can proceed in earnest within the European Council towards a common position, as member states, the Parliament and the European Commission will have to broker a final deal.

A German environment ministry spokesperson told a news conference on Wednesday that Germany will back 30% fleet cuts as a more ambitious target could have resulted in lack of agreement, which “would be the worst case scenario for the environment”.

But environmental groups were non-plussed by the result. Daniel Rieger, with German green NGO NABU, criticised the ministry for climbing down from its initial drive for 50% and called it a “massive lobby success for the car industry”.

Brussels-based clean mobility group Transport & Environment called Germany’s “backward” position a risk to its own climate goals, as further emission cuts will have instead to be found in sectors like agriculture.

The German parliament, the Bundestag, is hosting a public hearing on Wednesday (27 June) on the European Commission’s proposal on cars’ CO2 emission limits for 2025/30 in a bid to find a consensus between the different ministries.

The decision follows comments made by Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday (25 September) that confirmed she thinks any target over 30% would make the European car industry uncompetitive.

Many carmakers, grouped under the umbrella of industry association ACEA, baulked at the Commission’s initial proposal and have adopted a “realistic” position of 20% instead.

T&E’s clean vehicles manager Julia Poliscanova added that German automotive jobs will actually be put at risk by “its own carmakers investing in electric car production in China”, a massive emerging market.

Berlaymont regrets?

Germany’s position means it will find itself in the same boat as the Commission, which also proposed 30% in its initial calculations.

But the EU executive decided to publish an advisory white paper this week, which reveals data about 50% and 75% scenarios, including information on predicted job losses.

The non-binding document, meant to inform diplomatic talks, says 30% will cut transport pollution by 21-22% by 2030, while a more stringent goal of 50% would take that cut to 26-27%.

It is not the first time EU officials have come out with more figures to back up the Commission’s position or correct some wrongs after the publication of its initial proposal. A similar tactic was used during negotiations on the energy efficiency and renewables directives at the beginning of this year.

MEPs on the Parliament’s environment committee agreed earlier this month on a draft report that backs a 45% reduction, while some member states like the Netherlands are expected to push for even higher targets during the upcoming negotiations.

T&E’s Poliscanova said that “at least 19 member states are now asking for higher reductions of at least 40% by 2030”.

Carmakers will have to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 45% by 2030, according to members of the European Parliament’s environment committee, who voted on Monday night (10 September) to tune up a European Commission proposal.

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Comments

An easy way to start decarbonising lorries and vans in city centres is to mandate the use of a certain percentage of these vehicles to undergo a hydrogen dual-fuel conversion. This can be 40%. 70% or fully operating on hydrogen. The conversion requires incorporating hydrogen tanks within the truck chassis.

Refueling stations would need to be subsidised by the government, but considering the €6.2 billion spent (per year) on biofuels subsidies, it would be a drop in the ocean. With an electricity price of €60/MWh (this is a very average industrial price in Europe, and could even be lowered as electrolysers can operate in a demand response role) Nel Hydrogen are offering a commercial price for hydrogen at €5/kg. This is cheaper than diesel in a truck engine.

After there are a number of stations, truck and car manufacturers will be more inclined to start mass-producing fuel cell versions of their cars, which are necessary.

This is the faster, cheapest, most effective way to decarbonise heavy transport immediately, and carries with it a host of advantages such as offsetting fossil fuel imports.

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